


Unpacking

by Buttered_Toast



Series: COVID couples [1]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID, Idiots in Love, M/M, Self Esteem, giftwork, moving in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26525161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttered_Toast/pseuds/Buttered_Toast
Summary: Ron had just moved in with Carwood but Carwood can’t work out why he keeps putting his toothbrush in a duffle bag and not in the toothbrush holder.
Relationships: Carwood Lipton/Ronald Speirs
Series: COVID couples [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936507
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32





	Unpacking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [masongirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/masongirl/gifts).



> This is for Masongirl who I know was having a difficult time. Your fics always make me smile when I have a bad day so here I am returning the favour🥳

It took him a while to notice it. The thrill of moving in together was slightly damped by the necessity to do so by Covid; but waking up next to the man he loved left his brain filled with cotton wool. So yeah he hasn’t noticed it at first. Well, that was a lie; he had noticed and couldn’t help but notice it every time he tripped over one of Ron’s bags that remained unpacked tucked away in their bedroom, three weeks after moving in. His boyfriend had only needed two duffle bags and two medium sized boxes; for a normal person this would be a surprisingly small amount of luggage to pack their whole life into. But, not for Ron the army had taught him to be a minimalist.

  
  


The issue was, while he had noticed it, he had not really registered it. Sure, his toes were sore from kicking it during the blind stumble at 3am for the bathroom. But he hasn’t truly had a chance to deal with it, not when every time he brought it up Ron would distract him with a kiss, filthy placed hand or a quick innuendo about unpacking something else. Ron had the magic ability to make Carwood’s head spin, forget his name and the bags on the floor.   
  


Luz balks at him when he brought it up over their biweekly zoom catch up. 

“Lip I love you but I can’t listen to you complain about the context of why you are getting some when I can't even be in the same household as Joe” George groaned, the hand that wasn’t holding a bottle of beer dramatically flopped over his eyes. 

Joe had to self isolate for 12 weeks. He didn’t just lose his leg in the accident but also his spleen and with George being a children’s nurse they had not had any physical contact in six weeks and the shorter man let Lip know at every given opportunity. He could not imagine the hell he must be putting poor Roe through since they had temporarily become roommates. 

“I thought you were still doing your zoom dates where you know…” he couldn’t help blush he was not a prude but he was leaps and bounds behind what George was willing to share about his sex life. 

“It’s not the same, my hand does not do his mouth justice” George cackled taking another swing of his beer, watching Lipton go red in the face.

“If I promise to not bring up my sex life will you please never put that image in my head again?” 

“Oh yeah because I want the image of Speirs weird kink of taking you over his moving boxes!” One thing he both did and didn’t miss was George Luz’s ability to make him blush all over. He was glad he had headphones in, he really didn’t want to spook Ron over this issue with George’s crass comments.

“So you agree it’s weird?”

  
  
  
  


So he never resolved the issue, and what it meant, until one morning it all fell into place. He was rushing about in his sock clad feet, looking for his tie ready to teach his zoom class when he saw him. Ron, neatly packing his toiletries into the designated side pocket of the larger duffle bag, zipping it up before placing his phone charge in the other pocket. 

He watched from his spot in the hallway as Ron neatly dressed himself, placing his Pajamas back into the bag and pulling his work jacket on. Already to leave, despite his work commute being cut in half due to the lack of people out in the streets. It was like Carwood had his own policeman guarding his kitchen, reading the newspaper, sipping coffee from one of his mugs. 

It hit him all at once, all the times Ron had checked before buying something new for the apartment, even something small like a new throw pillow. How every time they kissed it felt like he was savouring it to keep him going. Checking before jumping in the shower, could he borrow the shampoo? Not moving the rug at the front door despite tripping on its curling edges every single even he came home from work. Using sex as a distraction like it was still the honeymoon phase. The other shoe dropped and he knew what his boyfriend was doing. 

He was making the most of their time together, but always waiting, preparing for Carwood to turn around and say it wasn’t working out. Convincing himself he didn’t deserve the happy ending. 

Half an hour later, with the paper read and the toast eaten, Ron leaned in to kiss Carwood goodbye ready for another day of policing. Carwood poured everything he had into that small kiss, trying to say all the things he struggled to put into words. It evoked a concerned look from Ron, and Carwood didn’t miss the flash of worry in his face. Not wanting him to go to work with a crease on his brow Carwood pulled him down for a more restrained peck on the lips.

“I’ll see you later” with one peck he pushed a slightly confused Ron out of the door. 

  
  
  


As soon as he had finished teaching his morning classes he bounded around the house. Unpacking each of Ron’s bags, filling the empty wardrobe space that he had made weeks ago. Bulking out the bookshelf with their combined books and decorated the apartment with the random trinkets Ron had collected on his travels. He only had to teach two more zoom classes in the afternoon to distract him from the nervous energy before Ron came home. But he felt lighter than he had since Ron said yes to moving in with him.

  
  


Carwood sat balancing his iPad on his knee, switching from his traditional notepad to the electronic one, thinking of ways to make his online classes more engaging. A handful of sneaky sweet wrappers cluttered the living room table next to a cold cup of tea. It was early ten hours after Ron left the house that he came bundling in, his face pinched tight.

“Hey” Carwood said softly, sensing that Ron would not appreciate him being overly affectionate straight after work. 

“God I’m glad to see you.” Ron breathed dropping down in the seat next to Carwood, his leg pressing down the full length of Carwood’s. George or Harry may joke that Ron was an emotionless robot but he just knew that there was only so much human interaction he could take before he got exhausted. A feeling Carwood could relate to as a teacher, they could sit in silence for hours together and it would be enjoyable.

“Rough day?” It was a daft question, frustration rolled off of Ron. He loved his job as a police officer but the last week or two he had been based at hospitals and Covid testing sites trying to control unruly Karen’s and Covid denying protesters. Carwood leaned over to unhook the black mask from Ron’s face, placing it on the coffee table before leading down to greet him properly with a kiss. Ron moaned into his mouth and tried to shift so he was on top of Carwood. Sensing where this was going Carwood pulled them back into a seating position.

“You need to shower, I’ll get dinner ready. What do you fancy?” Ron pouted as Carwood pulled away and hauled himself up off of the sofa.

“Can’t we make use of one of those Uber eats codes” it must have been a bad day if Ron wants to get take out. Maybe today has been the wrong day to confront the baggage issue. He just nodded scared his voice would give away his worries. Ron started to head down the hall way unclipping his uniform as he went. 

He watched Ron from his position on the couch, not moving towards his mobile to order food. A year into the relationship gave him the ability to predict Ron’s next move and right on queue he came walking back down the hallway with a confused look on his face. Look around the living room, his eyes flicking to the front door as if he was expecting to see his stuff piled up there. It broke Carwood’s heart; he is normally a peaceful man and yet he wanted to hunt down which one of Ron’s ex’s left these issues in the wonderful man.

“Where are my things?” 

“I took care of it” he tried to be casual but he didn’t have the same nonchalant air about him that Ron or Nixon had.

“What? Where have you put it?” Ron quizzed nervously, they were entering uncharted territory; Lipton very rarely had over Ron like this. He found he didn’t suit it, much preferring Ron to be the sneaky one bringing surprises to the relationship.

“Where it belongs” he surprised himself with how firm his voice had become; maybe Ron not trusting the relationship enough to unpack affected him more than he let on.

“Carwood, just tell me.’’

‘’Okay, fine. I saw you this morning, packing your toothbrush away like you’re ready to go at a moment's notice. Why didn’t you leave it in the bathroom where it should live?”

‘’I don’t know… force of habit.’’ Ron replied quietly, not meeting his gaze.

‘’Right, so in the twelves years you’ve lived alone, you kept your toothbrush in a bag yeah, not in the bathroom?’’ Ron’s lack of a response answered Carwood’s question. “You don’t have to explain, because I already know.’’

‘’Know what?’’

‘’I know why you haven’t unpacked yet. Why you never act like it’s your house too. I mean Jesus Christ your are willing to trip and break your next on that rug before you’d say anything to me about ‘My’ apartment”

‘’It’s nothing…just…’’ Ron was struggling to find words as he looked around him, before landing on Carwood’s face. He sprung up from his position on the couch, reaching his boyfriend in two strides and looking him dead in the eye. “I don’t how to do this..domesticated stuff…playing house”

“You ain’t ready for it?” Icy water settled in Carwood’s stomach, had he pushed him too far too quickly. At the time it seemed like such a good idea, Ron’s lease was in for renewal, a worldwide pandemic was shutting everyone indoors, separating people. What if it was too big of a leap? The panic must have been clear on his face because Ron closed the already tiny gap between them, cupping Carwood’s face.

“I am ready. Just aren’t ready to be bad at something when I know there is no way I can be good at it” 

“What?”

“I know I’m not the easiest person to live with, sometimes I just want it to be quiet, to lay there and do nothing. I collected creepy trinkets and I know not all of your friends are my biggest fans so I worry that they’ll stop coming round. I want you to have the happiest home and sometimes I’m just gonna be a cloud looming over you” it all came out as a rush, probably the most Carwood had heard him say on the topic of how he felt. Ron had always been an actions speak louder than words type of guy, a trait Lipton loved about him.

  
  


“Ron I love you, yeah you’re difficult but so am I. You saw how stressed I’m getting about teaching over zoom, biting your head off. I love your trinkets and my friends are dicks not including Dick who loves you, so does Nixon and Luz in his own weird way. I didn’t ask you to move into my home, I asked you to move it our home okay”

“It’s all new, I have never done this with someone before.” 

“I’ve never lived with a boyfriend either, I lived with George for five years after college before he moved in with Joe. We will learn it together”

Ron presses his lips softly to Carwood’s, soft and sweet and full of promise. He felt Carwood’s hand snake down from his neck, over his shoulders settling on the chunky black uniform belt. He knew what was coming as he landed with a thump against the sofa cushions, a spring creaking. 

“ _We_ need a new sofa for _our_ apartment” Ron said as he kissed down Carwood’s neck ignoring the spring digging into his thigh. Carwood started to unbutton his shirt. Ron trailed more kisses down his now bare chest. “Definitely..getting… rid of that…goddamn... rug” finishing the sentence by brushing his teeth across one of Carwood’s nipples. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Don’t know how it is working in America but here in England those with immune compromised conditions all were told to self isolate for 12 weeks in Covid, so that’s were I got the joe thing from.


End file.
